All The King's Horses
by Lime Green Sassy Pants
Summary: Lucy Graves is trapped in a miserable household. Her mother is a miserable drunk and her step-father is a disgusting old man who's been molesting her since she was 13. She's determined to keep it secret, but there isn't much you can hide from Tom Riddle.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi there everyone! This is my first chapter of a story that's been marinating in my head for what seems like forever. I really hope you guys enjoy and I LOVE feedback. Please tell me whatcha think!**

Lucy Graves was ecstatic. Scratch that. She was elated, gleeful, enraptured, thrilled, blissful even. She was rocketing past and weaving through muggles, attempting to get to Platform 9 ¾ as quickly as possible, her mocha-brown hair whipping behind her like a flag, hazel eyes gleaming with excitement.

She could hear her mother and Sebastian struggle to keep up with her but she paid their admonishments no mind. She was almost home. She wouldn't have to return to her parents for months. No more stuffy "family dinners", no more of mother passing out on the settee, glass of goblin-made wine still in hand, no more midnight visits from Sebastian…

The last thought made Lucy finally slow down. Memories of the late night groping, licking, and biting were enough to make her stomach turn. It had started when she was twelve years old, when her mother had started dating him.

Lucy had thought he was really nice at first. He was always bringing her candy and giving her lots of hugs and affection. He had nicknames for her like "princess" and "pet. She had never experienced this kind of attention from an adult before and she absolutely basked in it. She was used to being shoved aside by adults, not being important or noteworthy. But to Sebastian, she seemed to be something special.

It wasn't too long until this sweet affection turned into something more twisted. It was the night of her thirteenth birthday that he snuck into her bed for the first time. He had come in during the wee-hours of the morning while everyone was asleep. She had woken up with his hand down her pajama pants and his hot breath on her neck. She had asked him to stop, hell, she asked him to stop every time. She would beg, plead, kick and squirm. But he would always just chuckle and continue with what he was doing. She shuddered,

This temporary pause had been just enough time for the molester and her daft mother who had married him to catch up.

"Lucille" her mother hissed, shrinking away from a muggle that had gotten a little too close. "You are seventeen years old. _Control _yourself,"

"Don't be so harsh Margaret," came the smooth, deep voice Lucy had learned to hate. A large hand enveloped her shoulder and the petite girl let out an involuntary shudder. "She's just excited to get back to school, isn't that right pet?"

She didn't really hear what he had said. She was too focused on how close his mouth was to her ear. They were in public and both clothed but this small moment reminded her of those terrible nights when he'd crawl into her bed. His hot breath on her neck, panting, grunting.

"Run along back home Margaret. I'll see Lucille off," With one last look of extreme disapproval at her daughter, she stalked out of the train station, which, by now, was completely infested with muggles.

Once her mother was out of sight, she felt Sebastian grasp her upper arm and begin leading her to the platform barrier like a bloody first year. This was the same grip he used when he visited her at night. It was his way of asserting dominance, of keeping her still long enough for him to accomplish what he wanted to accomplish.

"Now Princess," he said pleasantly, although Lucy could feel the threatening undertone that had been planted so strategically. "Your mother and I will miss you terribly and we expect that you'll do us proud this year, just like every year." Lucy nodded quickly, hoping that she could get him to leave before any of her friends or classmates saw her.

"Keeping the family name as respected as it has been for centuries is crucial. I'm sure you won't do anything, pet. But if some nasty rumor were to start… well you may be seventeen, but that's not too old for a good old-fashioned spanking," This final threat was delivered with s lecherous wink.

Lucy didn't need any more hints. This was the same talk he had with her every year. No one would find out about the revolting late-night visits and she didn't want them to. The humiliation would be too much to bear. It wouldn't be long until she would be out of the house, and all of this would be far behind her.

"Good girl. Now give Daddy a kiss," he said with a leer. Lucy let out a shiver before quickly forcing her lips to his check before rushing through the platform barrier before he could demand more.

She sighed with relief as the gargantuan scarlet train flooded her vision. She felt lighter and a real smile stretched across her face as she pushed her trolley to the men loading the luggage.

She then straightened her blouse, smoothed down her hair, and made her way onto the train in search of her friends.

Lucy was very proud of the group she associated herself with. Emily Ellison and Edmund Fintan; friends any Slytherin would be proud of. They were purebloods, well-connected, and from old, respected families. They were valuable allies now, and would no doubt be advantageous connections later in life.

She soon found Emily, sitting by herself in a compartment near the center of the train. She had her rounded, upturned nose buried in the latest Witch Weekly. She wasn't particularly pretty; Lucy was considered to be the best looking of their little group. But she was good company and was always eager to help with her History of Magic homework.

Lucy slid the compartment door open and entered with a warm smile toward Emily. "Hey Em, have a good holiday?"

She reluctantly put down her Witch Weekly and returned her smile. "It was lovely, thanks. My mamere took us to visit her childhood home in France, it was tres bien," Lucy rolled her eyes. It was so typical of Emily to vacation a month in France and think she was fluent in the ruddy language.

"Sounds great," Lucy said, feigning interest. "Where's Ed?" It wasn't like him to cut it so close. He was the prompt type, usually arriving anywhere 15 minutes before either of them.

Emily inched forward in her seat, as if she had been dying for her to ask that very question. "You'll never believe it, Lucy! I saw him hanging out with Riddle and his crowd,"

Lucy's eyebrows rose with intrigue. "Riddle?" Emily just nodded excitedly. Tom Riddle was the Slytherin it-boy. He was handsome, intelligent, and very charismatic. He held a quiet air of authority that could be a little frightening. This combination of traits had helped him develop quite the faithful following. It wasn't often he let someone new into the group, and when he did it was a very big deal.

"Well speak of the devil," Emily said in an excited whisper, putting on a big, and what she must have considered a "winning", smile.

Lucy turned around to see Edmund sliding the door open, his dark hair greased back in his usual way, brown eyes serious and brooding. Perfectly ordinary. The only thing that was not ordinary was who was standing behind him. Tom Riddle had decided to grace their humble train compartment with his presence.

"You're looking lovely as ever, Lu," Edmund greeted cordially, pretending that nothing of consequence were happening. It was a very "Edmund" thing to do. To play up the drama of this situation by pretending like it was no big deal, when it so clearly was.

Tom was as handsome, if not more so, than he had been last year. His dark hair was neat and his dark eyes flashed with an excitement that he kept from being portrayed on his face. Those beautiful dark eyes were fixed on Lucy, baring into her with an intensity that she was finding difficult to tolerate.

"Thank you Ed," Lucy muttered, still fixated on the dark eyes that seemed to be piercing her.

"Care to introduce us to your new friend, Edmund?" Emily said flirtatiously, with a cheeky grin.

This caused Tom to break eye-contact, leaving Lucy feeling both relieved and deprived. He put a dashing smile on his face and directed it toward Emily. Lucy could tell that the smile was forced but she doubted that Emily did.

Tom took Emily's hand and kissed it gently with a small smirk. "Tom Riddle, you must be Emily," Emily was clearly thrilled that he knew who she was, that he had noticed her.

"And you're Lucy," he said. He had turned away from Emily quickly, as if she had been a distraction from his goal. He was stretching out his hand, clearly expecting for her to meet him half way and melt into a puddle of goo much like Emily had. When he noticed that she was hesitant to do so, he turned up the charm another notch.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Edmund has told me all about you, but he failed to do your beauty justice," his arm was still outstretched, but it was clear that she was not going to take it.

"A pleasure to meet you too, Tom. I'm afraid that Ed has told us nothing about you," Tom chuckled but Lucy could sense an underlying annoyance flash in his eyes.

"Well then I suppose I'll have to inform you myself. We'll have to spend time together this year. I look forward to it," Lucy just nodded stiffly. It was clearly an order, not a suggestion or an offer and this made Lucy very uncomfortable. She didn't feel like she had the right or the power to say no.

**A/N: Sooo, tell me! What do you think? Any suggestions or favorite parts? Things you'd like to see happen, etc? I'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned for Chapter Two.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hellooooo again :) Thank you for everyone who reviewed, the encouragement and feedback was amazing. But, unfortunately, I'm very greedy. I want more, more, moooore! Haha I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The Beginning of Term Feast was an especially unpleasant affair. Tom had invited Lucy, Edmund, and Emily to sit with him and his _friends_. Of course, they accepted (no one refused Tom Riddle) although Edmund and Emily seemed to be much more enthusiastic to do so than Lucy was.

Ed's chest was puffed out as far as it would go, inflated with pride. He wore a huge, voracious grin on his face, clearly thrilled with his current position across from Riddle himself. Emily, once again, was a pile of goo on the table, a look of absolute admiration stuck on her face. Her eyes were fixed on his handsome, stoic face, a serene smile on her usually pursed lips.

It was obvious that the two of them were thrilled with their current situation, but it was equally obvious that Lucy was not. She sat immediately to Tom's right, hands in her lap submissively, not touching her food but staring at her plate silently. She was hoping with all her might that by remaining silent, Riddle would forget that she was there. No such luck.

"So Lucy," he began, spearing a bit of Shepard's pie on his fork. "How many NEWTs are you taking this year?" The sudden start of conversation seemed to startle all of those around him, especially Edmund who didn't seem to care for the fact that he was addressing Lucy instead of him.

"Five," Lucy muttered reluctantly, swirling her fork around on her plate, forcing the peas and mashed potatoes to mingle. Tom nodded appreciatively, a polite, but unnerving smile on his face. "That's quite impressive,"

"I strongly advised against the heavy workload she's made for herself," Edmund interjected, determined to insert himself into the conversation. Tom turned his head calmly toward him, eyes frigid with frustration and annoyance.

"Did you?" he asked tersely. Edmund seemed to regret his decision to interrupt already. He swallowed with visible difficulty.

"Well yes, I-I didn't think she could handle it. It's a monstrous load to…" Tom didn't seem interested in what he had to say.

"It might be too much for _you_ to handle, Fintan, but I have no doubt that Miss Graves will do quite nicely. From what I hear, she's remarkably gifted," and with that, Tom redirected his full attention onto Lucy.

Lucy was perplexed. She was under the impression that the only reason either she or Emily were there was because of Tom's interest in Edmund. It had never occurred to her that it was really _her_ that he had been interested in. There was only one girl in his little following, Bellatrix Black. And, well, she simply wasn't normal. Lucy always found her to be a little demented, and a little too zealous about her family's lineage.

All of a sudden, Lucy's chest began to tighten and her heart began to race. This was not a group she wanted to be apart of. She looked around the table, looking at the other members. Of course, there was the ever-deranged Bellatrix, a seventh year like the rest of them, with her wild black hair and crazed eyes. Then there was Yaxley and Dolohov, also seventh years. Next to them was a fifth year, Lucius Malfoy. She recognized him from the Ministry Christmas function the year before. He seemed very different in this setting. At the Ministry he had seemed shy, and unsure, but among his older, more powerful friends, he was haughty with an irritating smirk on his pale, pointed face. There were a few more faces that Lucy didn't recognize, but they all had one thing in common: all of them were fixated on Riddle with an almost worshipful reverence.

Lucy let a shiver run down her spine. No, she definitely wanted nothing to do with this crowd. They were a whole new level of pureblood mania and the way they looked at their leader was unnerving.

She stood up suddenly, snapping herself out of her inner-monologue. "I think I'll head in early, if you don't mind," she said hurriedly, suddenly very eager to get out of there as quickly as humanly possible.

Unlike the rest at the table, Tom seemed completely unphased by her sudden movements. "Of course, let me walk you back," he offered, dabbing a napkin on the side of his mouth and preparing to get up. This was the exact opposite of what she wanted to happen.

"That's really not necessary," Lucy insisted but Tom waved her objections aside. "Really, you shouldn't be allowed to roam the halls alone," and it was obvious that that was the end of the discussion.

Lucy sighed unhappily and nodded. "I'll see you back in the common room Em, Ed," Emily just nodded, in shock of what had just happened. Edmund didn't even do that; he just glared at her. Lucy was wracked with intense guilt. She hadn't meant to ruin Ed's chances of joining the group he so longed to belong to. The anger in Edmund's eyes could only be compared to that in Bellatrix's. She was positively vibrating with anger. Lucy had always suspected she got some kind of jolly out of being the only woman high enough on the food chain to be associated with Riddle.

Lucy had no time for apologies. Riddle grasped her by the upper arm, much like Sebastian had only hours earlier, and lead her gently out of the Great Hall. Once they were out in the corridor, an awkward silence surrounded them.

After climbing a few flights of stairs Tom stopped and turned to her with a confidant, bone melting smile, if not a little arrogant. "Something's been bothering you. Would you tell me what it is?" It was phrased as a question but Lucy knew that it was no such thing.

"Well…" Lucy struggled with whether or not she should tell him the real reason she was so upset, it didn't require much thought. Those dark eyes of his seemed like they could see through anything, including lies. "I think Edmund's angry with me. He thinks that I'm stealing his spotlight,"

Tom let out a laugh; not a good natured one but a malicious one, clearly at Edmund's expense. "Fintan? Don't let him bother you Graves; we can't let people like that get to us," Once again, Lucy was very confused.

"People like that?" she asked. She had thought that Edmund was a great choice for an acquaintance and friend.

"Don't get me wrong, his bloodline is impressive and no doubt Daddy will get him a nice cushy job at the Ministry after graduation with all those connections. But we have something that he doesn't," Tom was getting excited, it was showing in his eyes and posture.

"He lacks real talent, intelligence. He has no _drive_. People like us, Lucy, don't have any such deficiency." Lucy was indignant, feeling an urge bubble inside of her to defend her friend.

"Then why lead him on? You got him all excited, paying attention to him like that! Why not come to me directly?" Tom grinned at her much like a father would to a silly child.

"I've offended you. That kind of loyalty is an admirable quality, but misdirected. To answer your question, there aren't exactly many females in my little group. Of course there's dear Bella, but I'm afraid she doesn't take kindly to newcomers," He gave her another one of those unnerving smiles again and took a lock of her hair and spun it around his finger. "Especially not ones as pretty as you are,"

Lucy jerked back as if he had burned her. Tom was displeased with her reaction, but carried on, "I've been watching you for a long time Lucy,"

Lucy didn't like this at all. The tightening in her chest was back and her mind began to whir, thinking of excuses to leave.

"I don't know, Tom… I'm not really sure if I'd fit in with your friends," this had come out more quickly and high-pitched than Lucy had planned. She cleared her throat and began again. "I just don't think I'm what you're looking for,"

"I can understand why you're hesitant to join us, Lucy. We aren't exactly what you would call a conventional school organization," he smirked at this, as if enjoying an immensely gratifying inside joke. "But I urge you to think of everything we could offer you. With me, Lucy, you'll be powerful and adored," he rested his hand on her shoulder, squeezing a little. "Surely those things appeal to you,"

Adored? Lucy had never been adored before in her life. Admired, yes and liked, sure, but never adored. She couldn't deny, she longed to know what it felt like. She looked up at Tom, his handsome face grinning at her, so clearly eager to have her be a part of his group. Had she ever been so wanted before? No, she never had.

"Alright, I suppose I could try it out…" she conceded. If she didn't like it, she could always politely decline other invitations and go on with her life. Tom was jubilant.

"Excellent Lucy. We're having a little get together tonight. Meet me outside the great hall at 11:00," he was grinning victoriously, kissing her cheek before allowing her to continue to the common room alone.

As she walked down the staircases and down into the dungeons all she could here were Tom's words echoing in her head. "you'll be powerful and adored… adored… adored,"

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! Again, please review, I _live_ for reviews! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi again everybody. It's been brought to my attention that Lucius and Bellatrix and that lot don't come to Hogwarts quite a while after Voldemort. I was hoping no one would notice but, alas, my readers are too clever for me. **

**I'm really sorry for the inaccuracy but it's going to remain unchanged (they don't show up very often anyways). If there's anything else you notice or if you just want to tell me how awesome I am (I love both) please review review review!**

Once Lucy reached the common room, she began to pace, racked with anxiety. What had she gotten herself into? What exactly did his following do during their meetings? She had no idea; no one did. How could she let herself be so easily swayed? She was usually a stony pillar of will power, but Riddle had managed to wash all of that away.

She picked up a book she saw lying on the end table and began to pass it from hand to hand absent-mindedly. Worse yet, how would Edmund react? He had longed to be included in Tom's get-togethers since 5th year. She doubted he would take kindly to her being chosen over him.

This mental-tempest was interrupted as Edmund came crashing into the common room with a nervous looking Emily in his wake. The sudden loud noise made Lucy jump and drop the book she had been fidgeting with onto the floor.

"What are you playing at? He hissed, his face magenta with fury. Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. This kind of behavior was completely out of character for Edmund. He was always so quiet, calm, and composed.

"Ed, I swear I had no idea…" She pleaded. Friendships were a rare thing in Lucy's world and she didn't want to lose one of the few she had.

"Don't give me that rubbish," he spat. "You've completely ruined my chances with Riddle! And for what?" he asked with a humorless, cold laugh. "So you can slither your way into Riddle's bed for a night?"

She was shaking her head violently, sending her dark curls flying. "No no no, of course not! Ed _please_…!" She walked forward, not sure what it would accomplish but needing to be closer to him.

He jumped back much like he would if she were diseased or some kind of disgusting creature. "That's it, isn't it! You just want him to _fuck_ you!"

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Heat flooded her cheeks and neck as she gaped at Edmund silently. She began to stammer from the sheer shock of hearing such a thing come out of Edmund's mouth. "H-how could yo-… I-I would nev-…" she couldn't seem to get a full sentence out. The words seemed to be getting stuck in her throat.

Edmund just sneered and turned to walk up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. "C'mon Em," He demanded. Lucy pleaded with Emily with her eyes to stay, to let her explain. Emily didn't seem angry like Edmund had been, but confused and unsure of what to do, fixing her vision on Edmund, than Lucy, and then back to Edmund. "Emily!" he barked again, finally persuading her to follow him out of the room.

Lucy was glued to her spot, too stunned to run after them or to cry. She couldn't believe what had just happened. After a few moments, she was gently tapped on the shoulder. Lucy whipped around, almost whacking the assailant in the nose.

"Whoa there! Watch yourself," he laughed a little. He had curly blonde hair and green eyes, with a shy grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Lucy recognized the boys face but couldn't place a name.

"I think this is yours," he said sympathetically, handing Lucy the book she had been playing with before Edmund had stormed in.

"Oh… yes. Thank you," she managed to force out, taking the book hesitantly. She expected that he would go about his business after delivering her book, but he did no such thing.

"The name's Elias Dodgewood. We were in the same Transfiguration class last year." Lucy just nodded, now clearly recalling his curly blonde head sitting towards the back. He had once helped her turn her guinea pig into a serving platter. She was suddenly aware that he had probably heard a great deal of the conversation that had just occurred and felt the urge to explain herself.

"Listen, about that…" she began but Elias held up a hand, stopping her explanation in its tracks.

"You don't have to explain anything. You don't seem like that kind of girl," he assured her. She smiled at him appreciatively. "Well at least someone thinks so," she said, eliciting a laugh from her newest acquaintance. She was a little surprised at herself; joking was not something she did very often.

Elias glanced at the clock over the mantle, straightening his green and silver tie. "I need to get going. Maybe we'll have Transfiguration again this year?" he said with a charming smile, before exiting through the portrait hole.

The small encounter with Elias had cheered Lucy up quite a bit. The pit of dread that had developed deep in her stomach had no only become a dull pang. She then glanced at the clock, just like Elias had before he left. It was 10:50 P.M. Time to make her way down to the Great Hall, where she was sure Tom was already waiting for her. He seemed like the prompt type.

Sure enough, there he was in all his handsome, stoic glory, waiting for her. As she got closer to him, she began to have second thoughts. What did she know about this crowd, really? She had no idea what was in store for her in the next hour or two.

Riddle caught sight of her and graced her with one of his trademark charming (albeit unnerving) smiles. She returned it very uncertainly, walking slowly down the final staircase. As she got closer, her heart hammered increasingly harder and her neck broke out into a cold sweat. The thought of being alone with him in an empty corridor didn't seem any more appealing now than it had been after the initial invitation.

"I'm glad you could make it," he said stretching out his hand, offering to lead her into parts of the castle unknown. Or maybe not so unknown. From what Lucy could tell Riddle was leading her back into the dungeons… to Slughorn's room.

Before Riddle opened the door, he turned to look at Lucy sternly. "I have invited you here as my guest, Lucy. You will stay close to me at all times and agree with everything I say," The unexpected warning put Lucy even more on edge. She nodded at him nervously. Somehow, though, this demand gave her a small bit of comfort.

Commands were something that Lucy was used to. As a child her mother and Sebastian expected her to do exactly what they told her to do, exactly when they told her to do it. An unfortunate side affect was that she didn't have much of a personality of her own, but it was well worth the refuge of obedience.

He pushed open the door, revealing their potions classroom, which had been completely transformed for their purpose. Large candles weeping wax were lit around the room, casting an eerie orange shadow over the otherwise dark room. The tables had been pushed together to form a rectangular long-table, with all but two seats at the head already occupied.

Tom led her to the head of this makeshift table, seating her immediately next to him. Lucy could feel the eyes of all the members in attendance fixed on her, bearing down on her like a massive weight. She risked one glance up to see if she could find a friendly face. She skimmed the table, finding eyes that portrayed a rainbow of emotions, but she didn't find a friendly pair until her eyes rested on Elias.

There he sat, maybe 5 or 6 students to her left. He gave her a weak, but encouraging smile, obviously just as shocked and confused to see her there as his peers. Lucy was just as shocked. It was true, he was a Slytherin, but he hardly seemed the Death Eater type.

Tom put a halt to all of the whispering echoing through the dungeon with a slam of his fist onto the table. "Silence!" he commanded with such force and malice, the silenced he demanded was instantaneous.

Tom had always frightened Lucy at least a little bit, but never to the extent to which he did now. She had never seen such excitement and cold, mercilessness in his eyes before. She still didn't know what, exactly, she had gotten herself into, but she knew that she wanted out. But it was too late, the meeting had begun.

**Well, this isn't my favorite chapter so far, but it was a necessary evil to get some things established. I promise, the next one will be much better. Remember, review review review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I would just like to, again, remind my reviewers how wonderful they are! You guys really keep me motivated and I practically worship the ground you walk on. So, as always, thank you so much and keep those reviews coming! Enjoy.**

It didn't take long for Lucy to realize that her feelings of dread were far from unfounded. She had expected for there to be an abundance of anti-muggle sentiment. Lucy didn't mind that; in fact she shared many of their beliefs. No, she had no problem with what Tom was saying, but rather with how he was saying it. Up there, in front of all of his followers, Tom had donned a completely new persona. Instead of his normal, quietly intimidating self, he transformed into a cold, terrifying leader. His harsh words and voice had all of his peers on edge, watching him in worshipful awe. And as the meeting went on, the rhetoric and atmosphere only intensified.

"Oh yes, these mudbloods certainly have a high opinion of themselves, don't they?" he asked with a cruel sneer. A few malicious chuckles erupted from some especially bold followers, the rest just nodded, affirming what he already knew they would agree with.

"They think themselves equals with wizards and witches from magical bloodlines centuries old. They see nothing wrong with a mudblood girl _mating_ with a pureblood wizard, sullying the family tree," He paused for affect, scanning the faces of his enraptured peers. Then, a cruel grin curled onto his face. "But we know what the one thing muggle and mudblood girls are good for, don't we fellas?" This rhetorical question elicited disgusting chuckles from the majority of his male followers.

Lucy felt sick to her stomach. What a sick and twisted thing to say, even if it was about a mudblood. She risked a glance around the table, wondering if Elias was one of the ones laughing at Tom's disgusting remark. Much to her relief, he was not. His cherubic face was stony with no emotion, completely unreadable.

Lucy wasn't sure how much of this she could handle. She was really beginning to feel sick to her stomach. Unfortunately, it wasn't until well after 1:00 AM that Tom allowed his followers to return to their beds. Elias sent Lucy a small, unsure smile and wave before leaving like the others. Lucy attempted for follow them out but Tom stopped her form doing so.

"Lucy, I'd like to have a word with you, if you don't mind," he said coldly. Lucy began to panic, her heart leaping into her throat. Had she done something wrong? She had done her best to do as she he had told her. She had kept quiet, nodded when appropriate.

She turned around, only to have her fears intensified. He certainly was not happy with her. He motioned with one finger for her to come closer. Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat, forced her breathing back to a normal rate, and did as he had demanded.

"Sit," he said tersely, pointing to the chair she had only just left. Nevertheless, she sat.

"Have I offended you?" he asked icily, hardly waiting for her to be comfortably seated. It was clear that he didn't really care whether or not she was offended. He was asking if she had a problem with his anti-muggle rhetoric. She was smart enough to pick up on that, at least.

"Of course not!" she insisted, both louder and in a higher pitch than she had intended. She cleared her throat and began again. "I truly enjoyed myself and I really appreciate the invitation, I just think that it might be better if," she paused, unsure of whether or not she could get the rest of the words out. "it might be better if you don't invite me back,"

This request went over about as well as Lucy could have expected. "I'm afraid I misread you Lucy. I never would have pegged you for a muggle-lover," he said, each word a cold and calculated slap to the face. Lucy quickly decided to backtrack. Having Tom Riddle brand you a muggle-lover would have terrifying repercussions.

"No, not at all! Everything you said was spot-on. It's just I'm not used to such… passion," After a moment, Lucy noticed Tom's face soften, much to her relief.

"You must forgive me, Lucy. I forget why not many women attend out little get-togethers," he said sympathetically, taking her hands into his. Lucy instantly wanted to pull them away, but resisted the urge. He was so cold.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed. It's common for pureblood women to be sensitive to violent topics. I should have been more careful with you," All of this was said with a condescending smile that made Lucy's stomach turn. However, she decided it was better for Tom to think her weak than a blood-traitor, so she went with it.

"Thank you for being so understanding," she said quietly, giving him the only smile she could muster, a very small one.

"Although, I hope you won't mind continuing to sit with us during meals. I enjoy your company," Like most of Tom's invitation, it was less of a suggestion and more of a demand. Considering this fact, Lucy had little chance but to nod her head compliantly.

He smiled at her again, no less condescending than it had been before, and offered Lucy his hand. "Come. I'll walk you back to the common room," Again, Lucy could only nod submissively and take his hand. Much to her chagrin, he did not let go. With any other boy, hand holding would have been a sweet gesture, but with Tom, it felt more like a demonstration of possession.

"Tom," Lucy said softly, hoping it was ok for her to speak. When Tom offered no objection, she continued. "I heard some of your friends call you a different name… Lord… well Lord Something…" she couldn't remember the exact name.

A grin grew on Tom's face. "Voldemort," he finished for her. Lucy nodded her head. "I felt I needed a new name, one I could assume when our revolution is underway,"

"Would Lord Riddle not have been sufficient?" she asked, knowing she was pressing her luck by asking another question, but deciding it was worth the risk.

Tom paused for a moment, clearly calculating exactly what he would tell her and what he would not. After a few moments of contemplation, he spoke. "If you must know, I'm named for my father, and I'm not overly fond of the fact,"

Lucy felt instantly closer to him. Who would have thought that she would have had _anything_ in common with Tom Riddle? "I know how you feel," she began, really looking him in the eyes for the first time.

Tom arched an eyebrow quizzically, clearly intrigued. "Do you?" he asked, probing for more information.

Lucy nodded. "I mean, my father died before I was born. But my stepfather," She stopped mid-sentence. Her stepfather what? How had she planned on finishing that sentence? She berated herself, it was a stupid thing to say.

"Your stepfather what?" Tom pushed, but Lucy just shook her head. "We just don't get along," she finished lamely. Tom continued to ask questions, but she wouldn't open back up.

They finally reached the common room and it was time for them to say goodnight and still, Tom would not let down. "I wish you would tell me," he said one last time before kissing her hand. "But maybe, another night," he said, letting her walk up the stairs to the girls dormitories.

As Lucy changed into her nightgown and crawled into her warm blankets, she felt pretty good overall. Having something in common with Tom Riddle was like having something in common with Merlin, it's having a connection with someone clearly talented and well known. She fell asleep quickly, into a restless sleep.

A few hours later, after he was sure she had fallen asleep, Tom snuck up the stairs and into the girls' dormitories, quietly seeking out Lucy's bed. He soon found her, sleeping fitfully. He took a moment to appreciate her beauty, her fair skin, dark curls, and long eyelashes brushing the tops of her high cheekbones. She was beautiful. Not to mention talented and from a good family. Having her in his ranks would be a great display of power; a true collector's item for his trophy case. He drew his wand and pointed it to her forehead. No one kept secrets from Tom Riddle.

"Legilimens," he whispered, and suddenly his mind's eye was flooded with images of another sleeping Lucy, maybe a year or two younger in what he assumed to be her bed at home. The door to this room opened, letting in a small sliver of light in, before it shut again. A man, definitely middle aged, with graying hair, climbed into her bed and began to slip off her nightgown. She suddenly awoke and began to cry, trying to inch away and push him off, but he continued what he was doing, "shush"ing her and cooing in her ear.

Tom retracted his wand, he had seen enough. He walked back out of her room and went to bed.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! This is where the plot really gets going so I'm getting excited. Please review, I live for your opinions!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: See what happens when a lot of people review? I update faster because they make me so happy! All of you who reviewed (you know who you are) were absolutely amazing! Your reviews really made my day! Keep them coming! **

**P.S. I'm double glad you all are enjoying this because I've **_**never**_** written about a character like Lucy before. Usually my main characters are a great deal less tragic and a great deal sillier, but I'm enjoying this new genre. I feel like I'm stretching my writing muscles! Anyhow, enjoy!**

Lucy woke up the next morning feeling absolutely dreadful. Tom had kept her out until bloody well past 2:00 AM and the little sleep she _had _gotten, was far from peaceful. It was a less than splendid way to begin her first day of classes.

With a bit more effort than she wished to exert, Lucy forced herself from the toasty, cushy confines of her four-poster bed, showered, and began the beautification process. Once finished, she looked herself in the mirror, searching her face for any trace of an imperfection. Despite the fact that Lucy came from a wealthy family, she didn't have much. She didn't have many friends, not a lot of happiness. The only things she did have, were her academic achievements and her looks. She considered these things to be the only thing of value she owned, and she therefore took them both very seriously.

After deeming herself sufficiently stunning, she made her way towards the Great Hall. She saw Ed and Emily sitting at their normal place, towards the middle of the Slytherin table. She began to make her way towards them, merely out of habit, before she remembered. She wasn't welcome there anymore, and besides, she had been instructed to sit elsewhere. She looked up and down the table, looking for Tom and his ever-present followers. She spotted them at the very end of the long table, clearly separated (but by no means alienated) from the rest of their housemates.

As she made her way over to them, Tom spotted her and waved her over, directing her to a seat between Dolohov and Yaxley. Lucy sat where he instructed obediently, but was confused. Just hours earlier, during the Death Eater meeting, he had made such a big deal about her sitting at his side and now, he had made sure she sat two or three seats down from him. What had she done to upset him now? Resolving to worry about that after she had finished her first day of classes, she ate her breakfast quickly and in silence.

She finished only minutes after sitting down and stood up, deciding to head to her first class, NEWT Potions, early. As soon as she gotten on her feet, Tom also stood and followed her out of the noisy food hall. Learning how to anticipate Tom's will, she paused just outside the great oak doors allowing for Tom to catch up.

Once he had, he grabbed her roughly by the wrist, leading her rather painfully into an empty corridor. Among cursing Tom for the pain he was causing her wrist, Lucy's mind raced with fear. It seemed as though she could infuriate Tom without actually doing anything. How could she make him so angry without actually talking to him yet?

Once they reached a corridor completely free from any possibility of student or teacher interference, he shoved her roughly, causing her to stumble and hit a stone wall. "I don't tolerate liars Lucy," he said in a calm manner that didn't seem to fit his obvious rage. Lucy was unable to respond for two reasons: 1.) Her shock had once again paralyzed her vocal chords and 2.) The slam against the wall had knocked the wind out of her. This lack of response only made Tom angrier.

"Do you know what deception I am speaking of, Lucy dear?" he asked, again more calmly than his state of fury should have allowed. Lucy only shook her head, still too frightened to speak.

"Well then, let me inform you," he began to inch closer, causing Lucy to shrink back against the cold stone. "I asked you plainly last night, why it was you weren't so keen on your stepfather. You're reply? 'We just don't get along.' That makes you a _liar_," Lucy was still confused. When Tom noticed this he went on. "Leaving out details is the same as lying, Lucy. You failed to mention me that the reason that you don't get along with your stepfather was that he _fucks you_ in the middle of the night while you're at home," The dispassionate way he was able to deliver this small speech was unnerving. Lucy turned her face away, unable to look at him, as a mix of fury, humiliation, and nausea hit her anew.

"How do you know?" was all she could manage to get out. She could feel hot tears forming behind her eyes but she refused to let them show themselves.

"Never mind how I know, why didn't you tell me?" he pushed, seeming to have calmed down a bit now that she had admitted to her "wrong-doing".

With a sudden rush of bravery, Lucy forced herself to look Tom straight in his black eyes; no tears, no fear, just raw determination. "Because it's no one's business," she said coldly. She knew this statement would make him furious but she didn't care. All of a sudden, she was much angrier than she was embarrassed.

Instead of the reaction that Lucy had been expecting (extreme rage and indignation) Tom was shocked. Less than 5 hours ago he had insinuated that she was a delicate little girl, but now here she was, standing up to him and proving him wrong. This seemed to please him and he graced her with a grin. "And it's still not. You don't need to worry about spreading your little secret," He assured her.

"Then why bring it up?" she growled, unappreciative of the uncomfortable and ugly conversation.

"You must tell me everything, Lucy," he insisted, once again a serious, stony looks on his handsome face. "You must have no secrets from me," Lucy didn't understand but nodded anyways, wanting desperately for their little chat to be over.

As she turned to walk away Tom grasped her wrist once more, obviously not sharing Lucy's determination to end the conversation. "Aren't you angry, Lucy?" he asked, for the first time letting a little emotion enter his words. It was a strange mix of intensity and confusion. She turned to look him in the face again, and the same emotions were painted on his face. "What he did was terrible; don't you want to _do _something?"

Lucy stood there for a moment, drinking in the rare presence of emotion on Tom's face. She liked it, emotion suited him. "Why bother? I'll be gone in a year," it was only then that Tom let go and allowed her to go to class.

Despite its rocky start, Lucy's first day of classes went very well. All of her subjects seemed to promise her a year of learning and knowledge, something that she had come to equate with power and wealth. There was no doubt in her mind that what she learned this year would seal her fate as one of the most influential people of the future wizarding world, which was her ultimate goal, like most other Slytherins.

The only unsettling part of her day was the strange absence of Tom. The teachers had said that he had a case of food poisoning and was presently lying in the infirmary. The Great Tom Riddle, taken down by food poisoning? The thought was almost comical. She had grown so used to his constant presence over the past 24 hours, that being without him felt strange. But other than that, everything had gone off without a hitch. That is, until later that night.

She was eating dinner, once again with Tom's followers missing when Professor Slughorn approached her. "Miss Graves, if you would come with me please," he said, a look of compassion and pity on his face made Lucy nervous. What was wrong? Was Tom alright? She suddenly felt awful about laughing at the idea of him being ill.

However, instead of leading her to the Hospital Wing like she had anticipated, he led her towards Professor Dippett's office. Walking up the spiral staircase, she became nervous for other reasons. She had never been summoned to the Headmaster's office before; she had never committed an offense serious enough to require it. Had she done so now? How could she without even knowing it?

After reaching the top of the staircase and entering the headmaster's office, she realized that she was not in trouble. Headmaster Dippett was seated behind his large oak desk, his eyes were filled with sympathy just like Slughorn's had been. As unnerving as this was, the presence of her mother, weeping in one of the many corners of the hexagonal office was much more so.

"Miss Graves, please take a seat," the headmaster gestured to one of the two chairs placed in front of his desk. The one was obviously meant for her mother who had, for some reason, refused it. Lucy sat as she was told, confused and anxious to be filled in on what everyone else in the room apparently knew.

"How are you liking your first day of classes, Lucy?" Dippett began conversationally. Lucy looked at him strangely, answering with a noncommittal "Fine," He nodded his head in approval, remaining silent for a few more moments.

"Oh will you get _on with it_!" Lucy's mother sobbed, in hysterics by this point. She stormed over to her daughter and grasped her painfully by the shoulders. "Sebastian's been murdered!" she howls. "On his way home from the ministry! Shot down like an animal!" It was then that she dissolved into sobs once more, collapsing at her feet. For Lucy no sadness came, no tears, just one thought: Tom.

**A/N: Soooo, what did you think? Please let me know! I love you all, and thanks for reading. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hooray for weekends and multiple updates! I love it. Again, a shout out to my glorious reviewers; you are what makes my world to 'round. Now, I would like to address some questions/concerns you guys have brought up:**

**First of all, about Tom becoming softer towards Lucy, of course this will happen, but don't forget, this **_**is **_**Tom Riddle. First and foremost, I want to stay true the fact that deep down he just isn't a very soft person. Also, I only feel it's fair to warn you, that this story is very rarely happy, smiles, and rainbows. Sorry. :(**

**So here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy.**

Dippett ushered Slughorn and Lucy out of his office so he could comfort Mrs. Graves in peace. He must have thought that seeing her mother in such a state would only upset Lucy more. Of course, this was a false assumption but it was one that Lucy was thankful for. She didn't want to see her idiot of a mother sobbing on behalf of her rapist; it was disgusting.

Slughorn led her gently by the shoulder, practically emanating pity. "Will you be alright tonight, Ms. Graves? Should I send you home with your mother? I'm sure your teachers will understand," He offered. Lucy appreciated his kindness, but could have laughed at how unnecessary it was. "No thank you Professor. I think I'd prefer to continue attending my classes," Slughorn nodded, a bit baffled by her lack of grief.

"I realize that this has come as quite the shock. Surely… you wish to be with your mother during such a trying time," Lucy just shook her head calmly. "No, really. The best thing for me right now is to go on as if nothing as happened," It was clear that Slughorn was disturbed by her lack of grief but this was of little concern of Lucy at the moment. She was almost positive that it had been Tom that had killed Sebastian, but how could she be sure? He had been in the hospital wing all day, or so everyone was saying. How could he have left?

After a few awkward minutes filled with Slughorn's sympathetic ravings, they had finally reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "Thank you for escorting me back professor, but I think I would like to be alone for a while," Lucy said, trying her best to hide her irritation she felt. Slughorn gave her an understanding smile and nodded. "Of course Ms. Graves. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make this difficult time for you any easier," Lucy just nodded quickly and slipped into the common room.

Once away from Slughorn's pestering, Lucy was able to sort through her thoughts. She decided against going to look for Tom. When he was ready to see her, he would come and find her, of that she could be very sure. But did she want him to find her? She had killed Sebastian, but had it been the first time he killed?

Lucy shook her head, trying to shake the very thoughts out of her head. She was being ridiculous. There was something very intimidating about Tom, but she doubted he was capable of killing someone. He was only seventeen, not even graduated yet. The idea of him killing anyone was ridiculous; or at least that is what she had convinced herself of.

She walked upstairs to her room. She unbraided her long dark hair and let it fall around her shoulders and stripped out of her uniform and into her nightgown. She sighed and sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for Tom to show up.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. She soon heard a knock on her door and Tom entered her room. Lucy was extremely disappointed to see that Tom didn't look like he had been lying in the hospital wing all day. He looked perfectly fine. In fact, he looked flushed with excitement, breathing very heavily as if he had been running.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice choked with excitement.

"Sebastian is dead," Lucy said, unsure of what else to say. Tom's grin grew wider, nodding his head. "Did you kill him?" she asked outright. She could no longer hold back the question that had been swirling in her mind since she had heard the news.

Tom knelt in front of her clasping her hands lying in her lap. "All for you," he said breathlessly, searching her eyes for her reaction.

Lucy couldn't breath. She had been right. Tom had _killed_ someone. Killed someone for her. This was all too much. "Tom…" she groaned, closing her eyes in despair. This was bad; he was a _murderer_.

"Aren't you happy?" he asked, baffled by her reaction. "The bastard didn't deserve to live. I made him suffer for what he did to you!" His anger was rising. She should be thankful, but instead she look horrified. "I followed him from the ministry and pulled him into an ally way when no one would notice. I silenced him and used the Cruciatus curse to lower his defenses. I tortured him for _hours_,"

"Tom, _please_," she pleaded. She was feeling sick to her stomach and didn't want to hear anymore. But he pressed on. "Do you know what I did _then_? I castrated the pervert. I severed his manhood from his body and made him watch. I told him that he didn't deserve one. It was then that his eyes began to beg me for death. I eventually granted his wish, once he had earned it of course.

Lucy felt as if she were going to pass out. She was feeling lightheaded and incredibly nauseous. All she could manage was to shake her head in disbelief, a dry sob escaping her lips. "I thought you would be happy. Don't you think he deserved this?"

As much as Lucy hated to admit it, she did. After all those nights of rape and humiliation, she had often found herself wishing intensely for him to suffer dearly for his crimes. Tom had done nothing more than make her vague wishing a reality. She recognized these dark, shameful thoughts with a reluctant nod.

Tom sighed and shook his head fondly. "My poor, sweet Lucy. This kind of compassion really isn't befitting a Slytherin," he scolded gently. She nodded her head in agreement, attempting to put a stop to her nauseating thoughts.

Tom gently ran his cold fingers down her cheek affectionately. "He shouldn't have been the first to touch you," he whispered, probably more to himself than to her.

"Do you find me disgusting?" she asked bitterly. Had being unable to stop her stepfather's actions made her just as disgusting as he had been? She hadn't told anyone, hadn't done all she could to stop it. Did this make her equally as responsible?

"No," Tom stated simply. "But it might be best if his actions remained our little secret," Lucy nodded her agreement. He smiled at her in approval. "Good girl. Now get some sleep, you've had a trying day," He then swept out of her room, leaving her only able to do as he instructed.

The next morning, Lucy felt better than she had in a long time. She felt free from all the pain and humiliation her stepfather as caused her. His death was a sort of catharsis, a relief. She showered and dressed before making her way to the Great Hall. Tom was the first to see her and motioned for her to sit next to him once more. She happily obliged him and for the first time felt perfectly at ease with her current position.

She put a bit of fruit on her plate, not feeling too hungry. "I'm sorry to hear about your stepfather, Lucy," Dolohov said absentmindedly, taking a bite out of a strip of bacon. She smiled at him graciously, taking a sip of water another one of Tom's followers had poured for her. "Thank you," she said kindly.

Tom then grabbed a piece of a toast and spread a bit of strawberry preserves on it before tossing it onto Lucy's plate. "You should eat more, you'll make yourself sick," he said bluntly, returning his attention back to his own Eggs Benedict.

"Thank you Tom, but I'm not very hungry," she said meekly, attempting to scoot the piece of toast off of her plate. Tom kept the toast in place with his fork, sending her a warning look. "Eat," he demanded again and Lucy knew better than to argue twice, so she obediently took a bite out of the toast.

After breakfast, Tom offered to walk her to Potions. He paused outside the door to give her instructions for the day. "We don't have any classes together until after Lunch. I expect you to meet me outside the Great Hall at 12:15 sharp. We'll eat lunch together and then walk to the remainder of our classes together. Do you understand me?"

Lucy nodded obediently and giving him a small smile before walking into Potions Class.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys. I know what you're thinking. "Why is this chick updating so often? Does she have no social life, or **_**what**_**?" Well I assure you, I have a life outside of this story, but I was just so excited about this chapter. It's a doozy! I just couldn't wait to post it! As usual, thanks to all my amazing reviewers. You are the light of life. So read on, and enjoy! **

The minute Lucy walked into the Potions room, her goal was to avoid eye contact with Slughorn at all costs. She doubted that his sympathy for her situation had abated and she didn't feel she had the patience for his pity that day. So she kept her head down and sat at the desk she had staked her claim to the day before, Elias' cheerful cherubic face already there waiting for her. He too had a sympathetic look in his eye but it didn't bother Lucy as much Slughorn's had. She liked Elias and knew that his sympathy was genuine, being born from, what she hoped was, a concern for her wellbeing.

"I heard about your father," Elias said softly, searching her beautiful face for signs of grief or mourning. Of course, he found none.

"Stepfather," she corrected, taking out a piece of parchment and quill from her bag.

"Right, stepfather," Elias revised, still waiting for her reaction with equal parts concern and confusion. When she offered no other response, he pressed on. "It must be quite a shock," he continued.

"It is," Lucy agreed. "It's still difficult to talk about," she hinted. Although she appreciated his concern, she was worried that if the conversation continued she would be forced to lie to him, and that wasn't something she wanted to do.

Elias nodded sympathetically and placed his hand on hers. "We won't talk about it then," he assured her. She smiled gratefully at him, not feeling the slightest urge to move her hand away. It was warm and comforting.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" she asked suddenly. Something had been bothering her about him for a while.

"Anything you like," he said cheerfully, gifting her with another warm smile.

"How did you get into Slytherin?" she decided being blunt would be the best way to ask. She couldn't think of a more polite way to do it.

Elias just laughed quietly moving his hand off of hers. Lucy frowned, her hand felt cold again.

"You're not the first to ask," he informed her. "Yaxley once told me I should have been sorted into Hufflepuff," Lucy blushed. The same thought had passed through her mind. "I guess I am a little too much of a people person to be a true Slytherin, but what can I say? I thirst for power," His voice was still full of laughter but the playful twinkle in his eyes made way for a determined glint at the mention of "power".

Lucy just nodded. She supposed that would also explain why he would hang around with Tom and his gang.

"Lucky thing though, being put in Slytherin. I doubt we would have become friends otherwise," Lucy looked at him, astonished.

"Are we friends?" she asked, not letting the overwhelming joy she was feeling reveal itself in her voice.

He nodded his head happily. "If you'd like to be," Lucy nodded her consent, smiling inwardly. She was happy to have a friend again.

Of course, Slughorn needed to ruin this lovely moment by beginning class. "Alright now, settle down, settle down!" he instructed jovially. The students quieted down and focused their attention on their potions master, awaiting instructions.

"As NEWT students, I've decided it would be more beneficial for you to be in charge of your own curriculum. Merlin knows you've earned the privilege with your years of hard work. Now I hope you all are fond of your desk mates because they will be your partners for the remainder of the year. Each quarter, there will be a sort of "theme". Depending on the theme, each group will choose a potion to brew and keep a detailed log of your brewing. Your grade will greatly depend upon the difficulty of the potion you choose and the level of detail in your log. This quarter's theme is "Healing Potions". Now hop to it! I am excited to see what you all decide to do," and with that, his he returned to his desk to grade the papers from his younger classes.

"Well this should be fun, partner," Elias said cheerfully, taking out his textbook and flipping to the "Healing" chapters. "Now how would you feel about a Lycanthropy-suppressing potion?"

The happiness that Elias had given her at the beginning of the day carried Lucy all the way through her morning classes. She felt as though she were glowing, which must have disturbed more than a few of her peers, seeing as how Sebastian's murder was now the talk of the school.

Even Transfiguration, usually one of her more frustrating subjects, couldn't put a damper on her mood. After Professor Dumbledore dismissed the class Lucy packed her bag in a hurry. Tom had told her to meet her at 12:15 sharp, and she would have to rush to get there on time. Unfortunately, Dumbledore had other plans.

"Miss Graves, could you stay for a moment please?" he asked kindly, waiting for his other students to file out of the classroom so they could speak privately.

"Actually professor, I promised a friend that I would meet him for lunch," She was getting nervous. She didn't know what Dumbledore wanted to talk about and she doubted that Tom would accept the excuse.

"I'm sure your friend will understand. Please, take a seat," he said kindly, but forcefully, gesturing to a chair that he had summoned in front of his desk. Lucy reluctantly took the seat he offered her, glancing toward the clock on the wall every couple of minutes. She was going to be late and Tom would not be happy.

"I am so sorry to hear about your stepfather," Dumbledore began, giving her the sympathetic look that Lucy was now becoming accustomed to receiving from just about everyone. But much like Elias' sympathy, Lucy found herself appreciative of Dumbledore's kindness rather than frustrated. The old man had always seemed very sincere.

"Thank you, professor," she said softly, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"I couldn't help but notice you've developed a friendship with Mr. Riddle," was the next thing he said, much to Lucy's surprise. It seemed to be such a dramatic and random change of topic.

"We've been spending time together, yes," she confirmed, still unsure with where he was going with this line of questioning.

"Was he fond of your stepfather?" he asked, his sparkling blue eyes seeming to bore into her own.

Lucy was becoming uncomfortable, squirming in her seat and glancing toward the clock even more. "He never met him,"

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course not, but had you ever discussed him?"

His blue eyes seemed to draw the truth from her mouth. "We… yes, we've discussed him a few times,"

It was then that Dumbledore got very serious, his eyes being turned to full throttle. "Had your stepfather ever done anything to you, Lucy? Something you might have told Tom about?"

Lucy bolted out of her chair making it scrape across the wooden floorboards. Dumbledore was too close to the truth. She felt nauseous and a little light-headed. She needed to get out. "Professor, I'm not feeling very well," she began, already backing towards the door.

Dumbledore was shocked by her sudden and violent reaction to his question. "I'm sorry Ms. Graves, I didn't mean to upset you,"

Lucy didn't wait for any more of Dumbledore's apologies or questions. She grabbed her bag and ran out the door only to run right into Tom, and he did not look happy. She looked up into his furious eyes fearfully. Oh shit.

"Oh Tom, hope you don't mind I borrowed Lucy. I just wished to offer my condolences for her loss," Dumbledore said cheerfully, walking towards them and putting a reassuring hand on Lucy's shoulder. Tom concealed the anger in his eyes and turned his attention to the aging Transfiguration professor.

"Not at all professor, but she should eat something," Dumbledore nodded dismissively.

"Oh yes, indeed. Don't want her to get sick. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow Lucy," he said kindly. Lucy only nodded hesitantly before Tom led her away.

Lucy was nearly paralyzed with fear. Tom wasn't walking towards the Great Hall.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN! Let me know what you think! Questions, comments, concerns, compliments; I crave them all! So let me have it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey everyone! Just to address a question that a couple of people had been asking: Yes, Lucy does have a room to herself. She originally was sharing with Emily, but she moved out after the falling out Lucy had with Edmund.**

**Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

Lucy's heart hammered inside her chest as Tom led her further and further away from the rest of the students. She didn't want to be alone with him when he was this angry, she didn't know what he might do.

Once they had reached Tom's favorite abandoned corridor, he tossed her against the cold stonewall, knocking the wind out of her lungs with painful force. "I do not… even know… where to _begin_," Tom fumed.

Lucy was paralyzed with fear, still gasping for breath. "I told you to meet me at 12:15 sharp, and you missed our appointment to talk to _Dumbledore_?" he was seething, spittle flying from his mouth.

"I tried to leave, I really did," she pleaded pathetically.

Tom only sneered at her. "Not hard enough," he insisted. "Dumbledore is the only teacher that is suspicious of me. _What did he ask you?_" he hissed.

Lucy opened her mouth but no words came out. Her vocal chords were paralyzed like the rest of her. Her silence only escalated his anger. He pounded his fist on the stone only inches from her face, causing Lucy to flinch. "What did he ask you?" he bellowed. He was free to yell as he pleased; no one could hear them in this part of the castle.

After a few moments of composing herself she managed to say: "He asked me about Sebastian," Tom's face tensed and he backed away from her a little.

"And what did you tell him?" he asked, almost conversationally but Lucy could sense the intense anger he was once again suppressing.

"I told him that you had never met," she said, hoping that this would be enough for her to get off the hook.

Tom nodded but his stare intensified. "Is there anything else that he asked you?" he was very serious, maybe even a little nervous. This was something that Lucy had hoped he wouldn't ask. She now felt foolish for hoping that Tom wouldn't be thorough in his questioning.

"H-he asked if you had a reason to be angry at him. If he had ever—" Lucy's stomach began to flip again. Dumbledore had been so close to the truth, it was unnerving. Tom urged her onward. "If he had ever hurt me… and whether I had told you about it"

"And what did you tell him?" Tom's emotionless face was unnerving.

"I didn't say anything," She insisted, hoping that she had done well enough to escape his full-blown fury. "I just got up and left,"

Tom let out a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "I am so sorry," she whispered for good measure. He had been so kind to her and she had come so close to ruining everything.

"Well, we'll need to work on your question evasion skills," he sighed. He then took her face in between his cold hands. "Are you truly sorry for what you've done?" he asked, his dark eyes bearing into hers. Lucy nodded slowly, entranced by his dark irises. "Then you are forgiven," he then kissed her on the forehead and gave her a small smile. Lucy couldn't help smile back in relief.

Tom glanced at his pocket watch and sighed. "Well we've missed lunch, shall we head onto Charms?" Lucy nodded again, allowing him to take her arm and lead her back to the more crowded parts of the castle.

Tom did not leave Lucy's side for the rest of the afternoon. Every class he occupied the seat next to her, never allowing her to stray too far from him and other students were beginning to notice. They were beginning to whisper, and watching Lucy with a kind of fascination she had not encountered before. Sure she had been looked at before, occasionally with interest or lust, but this was different. Now the looks were of envy and awe, and she ate it up. She loved the attention; she was adored, just like Tom had promised.

On the walk between Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, Tom pulled her aside, into a small alcove. "After dinner, I think we should take a walk by the lake," he said, once again encasing her small hand in his larger, cold ones.

Lucy's heart fell. "I'm sorry Tom, I can't," she said with a small frown. His grip on her tightened in an almost painful way, his face blank of the frustration that he was feeling.

"And why can't you?" he asked tersely.

"Slughorn just assigned us a potions project. I promised my partner I'd meet him after dinner in the library," She was a bit disappointed. She was very fond of Elias but she would much rather be on a walk with Tom than in the library pouring over potion books.

"Him?" Tom asked, his eyes flashing with obvious displeasure.

"Elias Dodgewood. He's one of your friends," Tom nodded, remembering the handsome golden haired boy.

"Well, I suppose school work comes first," he said casually, letting her hand free from his vice-like grip. Lucy was surprised at his lack of objection, but didn't argue. She nodded and they continued with their classes as if the conversation had never taken place.

That night Lucy rushed through her dinner, more excited than she or Tom had anticipated she would be for her study session with Elias. "Tom, I've finished. May I go now?" she asked.

Tom glanced at her plate, seeing that some of her turkey was untouched. "Eat some more turkey first," he instructed. She didn't eat enough. She nodded and ate obediently. Once she had finished Tom nodded his permission. She smiled and rushed out of the Great Hall, almost running to the Library. She saw Elias, immediately, at a table in the middle of the empty library, surrounded by lit candles and open potion books of varying sizes and age.

She walked over to him and he smiled up at her. "Ready to get started?" he asked eagerly. She nodded, almost smiling back. His enthusiasm was contagious.

They instantly got to work, sitting side by side, Elias reading aloud and Lucy taking notes for their log. Every once in a while Elias would look up from his reading and watch Lucy intently, watching her intense gaze fixed on the piece of parchment and the feather of the quill brushing her neck lightly. He shivered and had to force himself to go back to the reading.

It was hours before they felt they had done enough work. They closed their books and began putting them back. "Well, that's the last of them," she sighed, leaning against the bookcase. She hadn't realized how tired she had become.

Her exhaustion must have dulled her senses because before she knew it, Elias was in front of her, a little to close. "Thank you for staying up so late with me," he said with his usual, shining smile. All Lucy could do was nod, painfully aware of how close he was, mere inches.

Elias chuckled a little and put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "Don't look so nervous, Lucy. I'm not going to hurt you," Lucy knew that he wouldn't, but never the less her heart started to hammer and her breath quickened. It wasn't from fear though.

Then, without warning, Elias brushed his lips against hers. It was different than anything Lucy had ever experienced before. It was so gentle, not forceful or possessive in the least, just caring. It made her heart swell.

Someone cleared their throat a few feet away from them. Elias jumped away from Lucy when he saw Tom Riddle standing there. His eyes were flashing with barely contained rage, his mouth tense and pressed in a firm line.

"It was getting late and Lucy should get to bed. I'm sure you can finish tidying up yourself, Dodgewood," His voice was quiet but the commanding nature was clear.

Lucy followed him obediently, looking back to Elias nervously before turning the corner, out of sight. The corridors were dark and empty, and Tom's determined footsteps, followed by Lucy's hurried, nervous ones echoed against the stone walls. Suddenly, without warning, Tom grabbed her painfully by the arm and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers demandingly and forcefully; nothing like the gentle one she had experienced moments earlier.

He pulled back panting, rage burning in his eyes. Lucy was panting as well, her lips bruised. "That is how a _man_ kisses a woman, do you understand?" he hissed. Lucy was too stunned to answer. "You are never to let that boy _touch_ you again. You are never to _see _him again. _You belong to me_,"

"But… our potions project…" Lucy whispered. Tom did not allow for any back talk. He kissed her again, more painfully and forcefully than he had before. "You will be chaperoned by me, personally," Lucy wanted to argue and knew that to do so would be idiotic. So she pushed back her tears and nodded.

Tom sighed, trying to keep his anger under control. "This may seem harsh now Lucy, but it's for your own good," Lucy looked at him questioningly. "He was no better than your stepfather. He wanted to touch what he was not worthy to touch. He wanted to contaminate you," Lucy flinched. She wished he could have left Sebastian out of this.

"Come on Lucy," Tom said, taking her by the hand. "You should get to bed, it's late," She simply allowed him to walk her up to her room. She had just lost a friend, that only hours ago, she had been so overjoyed at gaining.

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Questions, comments, concerns, compliments: Let me hear them!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed. All of your feedback is really helpful and I crave more! As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.**

Lucy didn't sleep well that night so when the bright sun came streaming through her window, striking her in the face she was beyond unhappy. She groaned and threw her hand over her eyes, trying to block the offending light.

Last night had been a disaster and the last thing she wanted to do wake up and face the aftermath. It would be beyond painful. After a few moments of preparation she removed her hand from her eyes and blinked, adjusting to the light. She sat up and started to get out of bed, but paused. Tom Riddle had pulled a chair up beside her bed and was sitting there, watching her. She pulled her blankets up to her chin to maintain some modesty.

"How long have you been there?" she asked, a little frightened. She had assumed that after he had dropped her off to her room, he had left. Apparently she had been wrong.

"Since 2 AM, I couldn't sleep," he said nonchalantly.

"So you decided to watch me sleep?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. After what Tom had done last night she was pretty angry, and feeling feistier than usual as a result.

"I wanted to make sure that boy didn't sneak into your bed in the middle of the night," he said as he walked over to her wardrobe and chose a uniform for her to wear that day.

"Elias would never do that," she retorted.

"You don't know that. You don't think I know the kind of person who chooses to attend my little get-togethers? They crave power but don't have the backbone to seize it for themselves, so they latch onto someone more powerful and leech off of them. You deserve someone like me, not a leech like Dodgewood," All of this was said with a casualty unbefitting the vicious words flying from his mouth.

"He was the only friend I had left," she whispered. She hadn't meant to say it. It just kind of popped out. But now that it had been said out loud the overwhelming truth of her words affected her more than she could have realized. Emily and Edmund, the two friends she's had since her childhood, had abandoned her and now her friendship with Elias had ended before it had even begun.

Tom sighed and sat on the edge of her bed, placing his hand on hers. "Lucy, you have a lot to learn about men. You see… when men see beauty like yours they do things in order to possess it. That's why your stepfather did what he did and that's why Elias is trying to be friends with you. He wants more than friendship, didn't he prove that last night?"

Lucy paused. Elias had kissed her. That certainly did prove that he wanted to be more than friends. What Tom did wasn't right, but was he right about Elias' motives.

When Tom saw a gleam of doubt in her eyes, he smiled and stood up. "I'll let you get changed. Meet me in the common room in thirty minutes," he said. He kissed her on the forehead before exiting the room.

Lucy didn't speak to Tom for the rest of the morning, but much to his pleasure, she still sat with him during breakfast, ate the plate he made for her without any argument, and allowed him to walk her to potions.

"Remember what I said about Dodgewood," he whispered in her ear before sweeping down the corridor to his own class.

Lucy took in a deep steadying breath before walking into the dark, frigid dungeon and seating herself next to Elias. He was smiling at her kindly, but not with his usual enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry if I got you into trouble last night," he said conversationally, swirling his quill around his fingers. Lucy only shrugged, still not brave enough to look him in the face; Tom's comments swirling in her mind.

The students were instructed by Slughorn to continue work on their projects as soon as class time had begun.

Lucy began pouring over a potions book, looking up the numerous methodologies and theories on the best way to procure their potion of choice for the quarter.

"You're awfully quiet," Elias said nonchalantly.

Lucy nodded, taking notes even more rigorously than before.

"Have I done something to offend you?" he asked, hurt clear in his strangled voice.

Lucy sighed and put her quill down. "Why did you kiss me last night?" she asked, still staring at the parchment, not brave enough to look him in the eye.

Elias was confused by the question but answered it none the less. "Well, I fancy you," He had thought that much would have been obvious.

"But why?" she asked, quieter this time.

Now Elias was really confused. But she seemed very upset so he humored her. "Well, for a lot of reasons I guess,"

"You think I'm beautiful," she stated.

Elias nodded. "Of course I do," He was beyond understanding at this point.

"So you kissed me because you thought I was beautiful… and because you thought I was beautiful you wanted to be more than friends..."

"Yes, among other things I suppose you could say that," He agreed.

Lucy closed her eyes. Tom had been right about everything. Elias was no different than any other man that had been in her life. He had thought she was pretty and wanted to possess her for it. If he had been given the chance, he would have done to her exactly what her stepfather had. She opened her eyes and then went back to her note taking, more determined than ever not to look Elias in the face. She knew all she would see would be Sebastian.

"I'm confused," Elias finally admitted. "Do you want to be more than friends as well?"

"No," she responded tersely. "Get back to work,"

Elias was stunned. Lucy had never been the warm and cuddly type, but he'd never known her to be this cold. He went back to his work, but unhappily.

After her morning classes were done, Lucy rushed to meet Tom. He was waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase leading to the doors of the Great Hall.

"Lucy, darling, you look upset," he cooed. She walked up to him, her heart aching.

"You were right, about everything. Elias said so himself," Her heart hurt to admit it. All men seemed good at was hurting her. All of them with the exception Tom.

"Poor girl," he said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You'll trust me from now on, won't you?" On the outside, he was convincingly sympathetic but on the inside he was everything but celebrating. The dunderhead Dodgewood and done his work for him. Now she was all his.

"Come on darling, why don't you eat some chicken. You'll feel better after that," Lucy just shook her head.

"I just… I can't. Can I go lie down through lunch. I'm not feeling up to it," Tom mulled it over but nodded. She did look very upset, and he didn't want his peers seeing her with him and looking unhappy. Even worse, he couldn't risk Dumbledore thinking she was unhappy with him in any way. It would only give him another reason to pull her aside, and he doubted she was shrewd enough to dodge another round of questioning.

She smiled her appreciation and turned around to get some rest. Tom watched her walk up the stairs, her hips swinging and her skirt swishing enticingly. He smirked. Yes, she was all his now.

Once she was out of sight he turned to enter the Great Hall but he was stopped by someone calling his name. "Riddle!" he turned around to see Dodgewood running toward him. His golden curls were bouncing irritatingly and his frustratingly handsome face seemed almost as distressed as Lucy's had.

"What do you want Dodgewood?" he asked with an unfriendly hiss.

"Lucy is upset with me, and I don't know what I've done. You seem very close to her and I was hoping you could tell her that I'm sorry,"

Tom smirked a little. Dodgewood must be truly desperate if he was running to _him_ for help. Like most of his followers, he was scared stiff of him. "But I thought you said you didn't know why she was upset. What are you saying sorry for?"

"Whatever I've done, I don't care what it is. Just tell her I'm sorry, and I'm fine with being just friends if that's what she wants," Tom had to work very hard to hold back a laugh. This boy was pathetic. But he had to suppress it, he had to play his cards right.

"You're a lucky man, Dodgewood. You've caught me in a good mood. I'll get your message to Miss Graves," he said casually.

"Thank you so much," Dodgewood sighed, a smile stretching across his angelic face. Tom could have puked. This level of gullibility was unbefitting a Slytherin. As Elias made his way into the Great Hall Tom decided that he wasn't very hungry either. Instead he made his way to the boy's lavatory. He had bigger plans to deal with.

**A/N: Soooooo, what did you think? Like I said before, I crave feedback so let me have it! Tell me what you think! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll be updating soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed! Keep them coming, you know how much I love them! Just to prepare you, there will be a couple of time skips in the chapter, but it's better than having to suffer through years of unimportant narrative, so there you go. Hope you enjoy!**

The rest of Lucy's final year at Hogwarts, a year that she had expected to be the best of her life so far, passed in one miserable blur. She never had another real conversation with Elias after that day nor did she want to. He had already proven to her that he was no different from Sebastian. She knew now, thanks to Tom, that if he had had the chance, Elias would have hurt her the same way her stepfather had.

It was the night after graduation now, all of her NEWTS were passed and that was it. Her years at Hogwarts were over.

"You don't seem very happy darling. You've just graduated," Tom said, walking over to her and handing her some firewhiskey. The Slytherin graduation party was in full swing but Lucy had no interest in the celebration occurring around her.

Lucy took the firewhiskey Tom had offered her and downed it hastily. Tom laughed and took the empty glass from her. "Easy there, pace yourself."

"I don't want to go home, Tom," Lucy muttered, putting her chin in her hand. True, Sebastian wasn't there anymore, but the memories still were and somehow, that seemed just as bad.

"Well you don't have to," he said, pouring her another shot glass of firewhiskey and sitting back down next to her. "I've been saving up for an apartment and I've been offered a job at Borgin and Burkes… you can stay with me,"

She downed her second shot and looked at him in amazement. "You want to live together?" she asked in utter disbelief.

The concept was scandalous, of course. A young, unmarried couple living together… it would definitely send her mother into a shame spiral.

"I don't see a reason why not," he said coolly, putting down her second shot glass. "I could use some companionship and you need a place to stay. It's no secret that I'm quite fond of you, what is the problem?"

Lucy took a moment to consider this. How would their relationship change if they began living together? Would they sleep together? Would he even want to?

"If you're worrying about your reputation, I would put too much consideration to it. No one will dare say anything once I've gained control of the wizarding world," Lucy simply nodded. Over the past few months Tom had divulged a few choice details of his plans (though not much) so such statements no longer shocked her.

"It's settled then, I'll escort you home tomorrow to get your things," he offered, handing her yet another shot. He watched as she threw that one back, watching her swallow it and the slight cringe of her face as she felt the burn of the whiskey. His mind wandered to other things that he could have her swallow, but he shook the thoughts out of his head.

He would have her soon enough, he needed to remind himself of that, but he had to do it slowly. He needed to make sure that she was completely buried in his world before he moved onto anything like that. He needed to be patient.

He had never meant to get this attatched to Lucy. It had begun as a fascination, simply wanting her as an impressive trophy to his collection. But they had something in _common_. They knew what it was like to find their father-figure a disgusting animal. And now, he wanted to possess her in everyway, mind, body and soul.

The next day, Lucy's mother reacted to their plan much the way Lucy had expected she would. She cried and pouted and made a complete fool of herself, trying to keep her daughter home with her.

"Ungrateful child!" she wailed. "How can you leave me alone in this big empty house all alone?"

"You could always sell the house, mother," Lucy suggested as Tom helped her pack the few belongings she had left behind for the school year. Judging by her mother's horrified expression, might one have guessed that Lucy had suggested she sell her soul.

"Sell the house? Are you mad?" she shrieked at them as she and Tom dragged the trunk out onto their front lawn, preparing to apperate.

"I'll send you an owl once I've settled in," she said coldly, making sure that everything she needed was accounted for. She didn't want to have to come back after she had left.

"Do you know what my friends will say?" apparently, Mrs. Graves was determined to rave and shriek until the very end.

Tom didn't wait for another word and commenced the side-by-side apparition. Once they had reached the apartment, guilt hit Lucy like a wave of icy water. Her mother was truly alone now. But she swallowed those feelings and locked them away and helped Tom bring her things into the apartment.

"It's small, but it will do for now," Tom said, surveying his newly purchased apartment. It was small but clean and minimally furnished. As Lucy scanned her new home, she realized something that she had not been prepared for. "Tom… there is only one bedroom…"

Tom looked at her coolly, completely nonplussed. "Is that a problem?" The tone of his voice made her shake her head, no. She was sure that she would be able to get used to it.

They didn't speak much for the rest of the evening. Lucy was beginning to wonder if living with Tom Riddle would be all silence and boredom until after they had eaten dinner.

"I'm… very pleased you agreed to live with me, Lucy" Tom finally said after they had cleared their kitchen table.

Lucy whipped her head toward him in shock. She hadn't expected him to say another word all night. But once she had recovered from the shock, she gave him a small smile. "I am too," she replied, waving her wand and charming the dishes to wash themselves.

Tom walked up to her, so close their torsos were almost touching. He pushed a dark curl behind her ear thoughtfully. "I'm quite fond of you, Lucy," he whispered.

Lucy's breath hitched and her heart began to flutter. It was so uncharacteristic for Tom to be so intimate. He bent his head and kissed her softly. This only lasted for a few seconds before Tom allowed himself to get rougher, forcing his tongue into her sweet mouth and pinning her small, fragile body against the wall with his pelvis.

Lucy let out a gasp when she felt Tom unbuttoning her blouse. Tom paused and pulled away a tiny amount. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked huskily.

Lucy didn't say anything. She simply stood there, stunned into silence. Tom took her silence as compliance and continued with vigor. He ripped off her blouse and began pushing her toward their new bedroom. He shoved her onto the bed and crawled on top of her licking and biting at her neck.

He then turned his attention to her ear, biting harder than she would have liked. She gasped and whimpered in pain, but Tom continued, now groping at her breasts roughly, causing her to cringe. What had she gotten herself into?

Lucy woke up the next morning sore and bruised, not wanting to move. It had shocked and upset her how similar the previous night had been with the nights Sebastian would sneak into her room. The painful biting, forceful thrusting, hot breath on her neck. But the pain. It was nothing like she had hoped it would be. It had been painfully clear that it had been about power and domination, not about affection like she had hoped.

She forced back the hot tears that were forming in her eyes and she tried to move out of bed. Her bruised muscles screamed at her as she rolled out of bed. When she looked in the mirror, she thought she would pass out. She was covered in bite marks and bruises. She looked as bad as she felt, which was pretty horrible.

For perhaps the billionth time since she had met Tom, Lucy found herself dreading what she hading gotten herself into.

Tom had woken up and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her. His eyes were hard and demanding again, and hers were cold and empty. "In a few weeks, I'll be leaving for Siberia. You'll have to be alone for a while," All Lucy could do was nod blankly. "All of my followers are at your disposal, they will visit if you ask,"

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"Could be years," he said, putting on a fresh pair of boxers. "But when I return, my power will be unparalleled,"

Lucy wasn't really listening. She wasn't upset about the length of time he would be gone, she wasn't even upset about how he had caused her so much pain. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. Everything was numb.

**A/N: I know, this is a really short chapter, the next one will be longer, I promise! Let me know what you think. I'm a bit embarrassed though, this isn't my best chapter.**


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